Pakistan, IMF to Begin $7 Billion EFF Review Talks on September 22

• The IMF mission will assess Pakistan’s performance under the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility.
• The two-week review will be conducted alongside the country’s first Article IV consultation in two years.
• Discussions will include revised import figures and progress on the Governance and Corruption Diagnostic report.

Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund are scheduled to begin talks on September 22 for the fourth review of the country’s $7 billion Extended Fund Facility programme.

The discussions will take place in Karachi and Islamabad and are expected to continue for approximately two weeks. The programme review will be conducted alongside an Article IV consultation, marking the IMF’s first such assessment of Pakistan since its Executive Board completed the previous consultation in September 2024.

IMF Resident Representative in Pakistan Mahir Binici confirmed that a Fund mission was expected to visit the country in the coming weeks for the programme review and Article IV consultations. He said such missions typically last around two weeks.

Pakistani officials have also confirmed preparations for the upcoming visit and negotiations.

Ahead of the talks, the government has provided the IMF with revised monthly and annual import data after removing discrepancies reportedly valued at billions of dollars.

The IMF delegation is also expected to closely examine the government’s implementation plan for recommendations contained in the Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment report.

Article IV consultations are regular economic assessments conducted by the IMF to review a member country’s policies, exchange arrangements, financial stability and broader economic performance.

The mission’s findings will be submitted to the IMF Executive Board for consideration. Following the board’s review, the Article IV assessment is expected to be published alongside the report on Pakistan’s EFF programme review.